


Guillotine

by SkyWrite



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-02-08 08:50:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1934541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyWrite/pseuds/SkyWrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Blades finally take things too far.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guillotine

"Stop."  
Delphine looked at her from across the platform, and tauntingly took another step forward towards the lever. Her hand was outstretched, the dovahkiin's arrow notched, drawn, and pointed at the Blade's forehead. The small mage couldn't use her magic; magicka draining spells had been placed strategically all around the platform. Five more steps, and Delphine would be at the lever. She took another step.

"I said stop."  
"Or what?" The woman taunted. "You'll kill me? You don't have it in you." She took another step. Three left. 

Paarthurnax shook his massive head, his fury at being caught boiling up within him. The Blades had captured another dovah, a young one, barely more than a hatchling, and tortured him, using the little one to lure him into this trap, not unlike the one at Dragons Reach. It had been five years since Alduin's defeat, and even without the dovahkiin's help, the Blades had been very busy. 

But then, so had the dovahkiin. Once the civil war had ended, she had joined Paarthurnax in reaching out to the other dov. Teaching them another way, showing them that they didn't have to follow a philosophy of destruction and domination; that they could resist their natural inclinations. The relationship between the dov and the mortals had improved dramatically. Except for the Blades, of course. 

But on the next step Delphine took, the arrow left the bow and pierced the woman's skull with a sickening _thunk_. The woman's body instantly crumbled to the ground and Esbern, who had been watching all this transpire, gave a great cry and lept towards his colleague. Another drawn arrow pointed now at _his_ head, brought him up short. 

"Get back." The dovahkiin's voice was a low growl. The man held up his hands and backed away slowly. She used the first word only of Bend Will, making him dazedly compliant as she tied him to an iron post at the far side of the platform. 

As soon as the man was secure, the dovahkiin came quickly to dismantle the guillotine, the death sentence for any dovah caught in the trap with the lever. The entire system was flimsy, but by breaking the frame and throwing the weight clear, the steel guillotine crashed harmlessly to the ground. She released the trap, and the old dovah reared back until he was no longer in range of the contraption. He lowered his head again as the little dovahkiin threw herself at him, embracing his neck for dear life and weeping uncontrollably. He drew her under his wing, and rumbled at her softly in the speech of the dov until she regained her calm. 

The man, Esbern, looked on in disgust. "How could you?" He demanded from his bound position, his mind now free of the Shout. The small mage dried her eyes and reached for her bow. She left the shelter of the old dovah's wing, and walked solemnly towards the man. As she got close, he repeated himself. "How could you trade Delphine's life for his?" 

She drew her bow, pointing the arrow directly at his head. She answered him. "I didn't love Delphine." 

And then she let the arrow fly.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what qualifies a work as a drabble, but this is very, very short. Like me. Hi there. *waves*


End file.
